Resistance Training May Help Preserve Aging Nerves

Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health

Briana Mercola

Health & Fitness, Alternative Health

4.6 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 27 November 2025

⏱️ 8 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Resistance training for aging nerves helps older adults improve steadiness, reaction time, and daily movement confidence by strengthening communication between nerves and muscles
A four-week hand-grip training program from Syracuse University showed that simple, consistent resistance exercise helps speed up how quickly nerves send signals to muscles, even in older adults
While the approach supports nerve health, it's not a cure for neuropathy or a guaranteed fall-prevention solution. Evidence remains early and based on short-term trials
Do two to three resistance sessions each week at a moderate effort level. Include a short, five-minute grip routine to strengthen nerve signaling and improve coordination
Pair your training with balanced, protein-rich meals to support muscle recovery and nerve function. Make sure to also prioritize safety — use proper form and stop if you feel pain, dizziness, or unusual tingling

Transcript

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0:00.0	What if a five-minute routine could help you react faster?
0:03.0	Study your steps and feel more confident moving through your day.
0:07.0	Welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom.
0:10.0	Stay informed with quick, easy-to-listen summaries of our latest articles,
0:14.0	perfect for when you're on the go.
0:16.0	No reading required.
0:17.0	Subscribe for free at Mercola.com for the latest health insights.
0:26.7	Hello and welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. I'm Ethan Foster. Today we're looking at resistance training for aging nerves. What changes in your nervous system over time,
0:31.4	how simple grip work improved nerve signaling in just four weeks, and how you can apply
0:37.0	a safe, efficient routine each week.
0:39.6	I'm Alara Skye. As you age, your movement can feel a split second behind your intention.
0:46.7	That delay reflects changes in how your nerves and muscles talk to each other. Messages move
0:52.2	more slowly, coordination slips, and you notice it most when you need a quick
0:57.0	recovery step or a fast reach to catch a stumble.
1:00.0	Motor neurons gradually lose some of their connections to muscle fibers, a process called
1:05.0	denervation. Your body tries to compensate through motor unit remodeling, surviving neurons branch out to reconnect,
1:12.6	but the trade-off is precision, signal quality drops, and movements that used to feel effortless
1:18.1	demand more focus.
1:19.6	The communication point between nerve and muscle, the neuromuscular junction, also weakens with time.
1:26.6	Nerve conduction velocity, the speed of electrical impulses from nerve to muscle,
1:31.6	declines with loss of myelin and shrinking axon diameter.
1:36.2	In young adults, signals travel roughly 60 to 70 meters per second.
	...

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